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Tailored Design
The 2013 Cadillac ATS interprets Cadillac's Art & Science design language in a
new proportion, tailoring the signature styling and refinement cues for the most
compact Cadillac while upholding - and advancing - the exemplary attention to
detail and technological elements for which the brand is known.
A long, 109.3-inch (2,775 mm) wheelbase and wide front/rear tracks are the
cornerstones of the ATS's firmly planted stance, which is enhanced by short
overhangs and taut sheet metal that appears to wrap tightly around the tires.
Seventeen-inch wheels are standard and 18-inch wheels are available.
Bold vertical lighting elements - including new LED front signature lighting
detail - as well as illuminating door handles and active grille shutters lend
technologically advanced style and function to the ATS. The grille shutters
close at certain highway speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag and enhance fuel
economy.
A driver-focused interior with integrated technology and crafted materials
complements the exterior elements and supports the ATS's driving experience.
Everything from the placement of the pedals to the position of the shifter is
designed for effortless and intuitive performance driving. Available performance
seats have power-adjustable bolsters to optimize lateral support during
high-load cornering.
Contributing to the interior's intuitive feel is an instrument panel that wraps
into the doors and a center stack in the mid-instrument panel that flows into
the center console. LED lighting for the bold gauge cluster enables clear,
at-a-glance viewing in all lighting conditions, while ambient lighting accents
functional elements of the console and doors.
Real wood, plated metal plating and carbon fiber trim and Cadillac's cut-and-sew
instrument panel, console and doors enhance the emotional connection to the ATS.
Choices of many interior color themes, each with unique accent trim material,
cover a wide range of flavors - from light, open and warm to black and serious,
to bold, technical and sporty.
Lightness and Balance
Making the ATS one of the segment's lightest cars was a fundamental criterion
for and the guiding principle during its development, but it was done in a
nuanced manner that ensures a refined driving experience.
"Low weight gives the ATS a more nimble and controllable feel, while also
optimizing the performance and efficiency of the powertrains," said David Masch,
ATS chief engineer. "But we were careful to manage the weight while maintaining
Cadillac's signature levels of refinement."
Optimizing the ATS's mass was the result of a four-pronged philosophy that
included strict adherence to original architectural goals, measured load
management throughout the vehicle, benchmarking components to see if lighter
solutions were available and an overall culture that "weighed" the mass of every
component in the car against all aspects of its development.
An aluminum hood, magnesium engine mount brackets and even lightweight,
natural-fiber door trim panels contribute to the ATS's low overall mass - and
reflect the systematic approach of evaluating every gram that went into the car.
But some weight was deemed not only beneficial, but essential to the ATS's
driving experience. An example is the cast iron differential: Engineers found
they could improve fuel economy with a cast iron differential rather than a
lighter aluminum version.
And while the rear suspension is mostly steel, the focus on load management and
straight links enabled significant weight savings without using alternate
materials. This helps offset the weight of the engine and transmission at the
front of the vehicle, helping the ATS deliver its near-perfect 50/50 weight
balance, while also contributing to lower noise and vibration. A similar
approach was taken on the wheels, where extra structural aluminum was
strategically added to further reduce vibration.
"We approached development by counting all the grams in the ATS," said Masch.
"We minimized them where we could and put them to the best use where they were
needed."
CUE and ATS Technologies
The ATS is offered with Cadillac CUE, a comprehensive, in-vehicle experience
that merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls and commands for
information and entertainment data. It is designed to be unique for each
consumer, from the "simple user" to the fully connected "super user."
CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, pairs entertainment and
information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards
and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity
through customized information, voice commands and fewer buttons and larger
icons. For example, most of today's luxury cars have around 20 buttons
controlling the radio and entertainment functions. CUE has only four.
The heart of CUE is the eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen, seamlessly
integrated into the top of the central instrument panel and a motorized fully
capacitive faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area. The vibrant
LCD screen displays CUE's home page, which resembles a smart phone's screen by
using large, easy-to-target icons to execute commands. Capacitive technology
refers to using electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such
as a finger.
In addition to CUE, the ATS is offered with other technologies, including:
* Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice recognition
* USB, auxiliary and SD memory card ports
* SiriusXM Satellite Radio with three-month trial subscription
* Keyless access and keyless push-button start
* Reconfigurable 5.7-inch instrument panel cluster display
* Full-color reconfigurable heads-up display.
The ATS is offered as a well-equipped standard model and in Luxury, Performance
and Premium Collections. A Bose Cabin Surround audio system is offered on the
standard model, as well as Luxury and Performance Collections. It is standard
with the Premium Collection. A navigation system is also available with Luxury
and Performance Collections and standard with the Premium Collection.
Cadillac ATS 3.6L: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications